Symbiotic Relationships
by Acid Icecream
Summary: ItaSaku:: "I am the predator and you are my prey." "Or perhaps you are the parasite and I am your host." Rated T for language. On Hold
1. Prolouge

Pitch black. 

It was like running through a clearing-or a desert, come to think of it-during the new moon; pitch black.

She feared she was blind. Or deaf, too, she hadn't _heard _anything in awhile. No birds, or owls-she didn't know if it was night or day. No breeze or the creaking of trees. Not even scuffling noises as her boots hit the ground.

All she knew was that it was snowing. She thanked the lord that she hadn't lost her sense of touch. Every once in a while a snowflake would work its way onto her face, making her start shivering again.

Black again. Still black. 

The only way she could actually see was by putting out charka into her surroundings to look around. It was using it all up.

The only sense she wished she didn't still have was smell. All she could smell was smoke and dead corpses. 

That's when she heard it, the dreaded crunching of snow underfoot. It was winter and she had thought she had covered up her trail, but obviously the snow was giving her away.

The crackling stopped and it was obvious her pursuer had stopped.

Dead silence.

And then she jumped from branch to branch. In the deafening silence, it sounded like an explosion. And she was sure the people following her could hear her heart beat.

It was as she jumped in the pitch black, using her charka to 'see', that she saw a high form of punishment. 

A shining lake.

It was frozen solid and it sparkle, lighting up the world. 

How was glimmering? No moon to shine upon it. It was as if the pond taunted her. She swore as a kunai attacked her head.

Putting up an arm to block it, the pink haired woman clashed with her attacker. The two fighting moved so gracefully, to any onlooker it might have looked as if they were merely dancing. 

And indeed to a red-eyed man consumed in darkness, they looked to be dancing. A cruel smirk played at his lips, but made it no farther and a slightly up-turned mouth.

He watched as the one-on-one fight became a five-on-one fight. He watched as the mysterious, cloaked and hooded Konoha ANBU fought the five.

The silly ANBU was separated from her teammates and fighting impossible odds against five Oto ANBU. There was no way this silly one could make it. 

A clashing sound broke him out of his reveries. The lone ANBU dropped their weapon and was attacking with taijutsu. 

A blue glow surrounded her fist as the ANBU swung in at her attacker. The Oto nin, too slow to dodge, 

Blood poured from the ANBU's wounds and with a final thrust of the now-picked-up kunai the last Oto nin was dead, and the lone ANBU fainted.

A humorless chuckle passed from behind the porcelain mask as the fainting woman looked up into the black star-less sky.

There, up – not by the slowly emerging black-haired, crimson-eyed male – but up in the sky was a red moon. 

And it was the exact color of the eyes of the man she was looking for, the man who was really standing right next to her.

The jade eyes behind the mask closed as the ANBU fainted.

Uchiha Itachi smirked.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

**a/n: **_Okay, just for the record, this is my first ItaSaku so if I have them OOC I need you to tell me and I need you to tell me why. Also, I am but a poor, pitiful seventh grader, meaning I am twelve and most likely have a ton of grammer and/or spelling error. I also have no Japanese dictionary and am limited to the internet's unreliable resources. Gomen._

**Warning to the Reader: **_I don't really mind flames because it just shows that said flamer is immature, but I just HATE it when people flame for pairings, so if you don't like the pairing click the 'Back' button, don't flame me for it._

**Gomen: **_Sorry that this chapter is so short! I promise it will be a heck of a lot longer next time, this is basically a prolouge...or like a commercial for movie... __understand? No? Sorry then..._

**Word count: **_706. Like I said, short.._


	2. Nine Lives

Haruno Sakura was without teammates.

Not that she hadn't been on her own before, but this was unfair. Really unfair. And sure, she had been in unfair odds before, but like stated before, this was really unfair.

This was like pairing a genin up against two jonins.

And yet, here she was, without teammates, backup, or help. Yes, ANBU captain Haruno Sakura was without her team: Hyuuga Hinata and the weapon master Tenten.

She was also without ANBU captain Uzumaki Naruto's team: Hyuuga Neji, Nara Shikamaru, and Rock Lee.

Seven ANBU should have been enough, except now there was one. Who knew where the others were.

Probably fighting with their own opponents.

Seven ANBU against five Akatsuki, they should have been able to do it. They would have, if they hadn't split up. If the bombs hadn't flown at them.

It also was quite unfair that she was fighting Uchiha Itachi, who should have been dead, and Hoshigake Kisame. All by herself. With their lackeys hidden in the trees, hurling kunai at her.

A punch aimed at her head took her out of her reverie. She dodged the blow only to grit her teeth in pain as a sharp Samehada attacked her left shoulder. She moved her arm away so her charka wouldn't be eaten away.

She kicked Kisame in the stomach and twisted back around to dive into some undergrowth while Kisame was momentarily occupied by her chakra-filled kick. And – not to be noticed – she masked her chakra until it was barely there.

That was when the Uchiha, presumed dead, flicked a kunai in her general direction, missing her by a mere centimeter.

The only thing that was to her favor right now was that the Uchiha hadn't gone after Naruto. She figured he could handle himself with any other Akatsuki.

She narrowed her eyes in the dark. As she reflected another kunai. It landed with a splash in the lake near her.

Another thing not in her favor – Hoshigake used water-based attacks. And she was right next to a lake.

That thought was amplified when a giant, chilling blast was sent to her face, knocking her backwards.

She gasped at the unexpected moisture and countered with a barrage of kunai. She narrowed her eyes and with a flick of her finger, had caught Hoshigake in a genjutsu. Her skills in that field could rival the famous Uchiha's.

What Kisame saw was Sakura stabbing him with an unknown sword. The surroundings were the same making it look like no genjutsu had ever been cast. He pulled the sword out of his gut, choking. She stabbed him in the right arm. In the leg. Over and over.

It was broken when Sakura was hit with a kunai in her back. Pain shot up her back as Itachi's well-aimed kunai struck. Fuck.

She almost went flying into the lake when an explosion erupted next to her foot. That was all it took – the knowledge that not only two, but three Akatsuki were after her – made her give in to panic.

Her genin self was emerging, her ANBU self being pushed away.

"Don't lose it, don't lose it, don't lose…" She broke off finally locating the third attacker, Deidara.

But Deidara wasn't what was interesting her. No, it was what Deidara held.

"Naruto!!"

She flipped backward as another punch came at her.

Akatsuki disappeared with their prize, her best friend, her brother, Naruto.

"Naruto! No! No…"

The Akatsuki were gone, it was dark, and she was broken beyond repair on the inside. She was already half-dead.

It was just her luck that five Oto nins happened to be speeding her way, drawn to the noise of battle like moths to light.

_**If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at aaaall!!**_

And, if that wasn't bad enough, her inner had decided tocome out.

Joy.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Sakura didn't know where she was.

Scratch that, she knew exactly where she was: A dirty gray and brown cell that smelled of blood, vomit, and dead carcasses. It was a nasty, dank prison with little light and chains on the wall behind her along with Naruto.

…wait! Naruto?!

"Naruto!!" Sakura cried.

Obviously, said boy continued to be knocked-out cold. Sakura sighed and waited for either Naruto to wake up or her captor to come in.

In the meantime she would just have to make an escape plan.

The strategist of team seven wasn't out yet.

If only she had known.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"It looks as if one of our little prisoners have awakened, un? Care to enlighten them, Kisame?" A blonde-haired Deidara asked.

"Heh. Why not?" Kisame replied.

"Make sure to _torture _the killer of Sasori." Deidara smirked.

"Tch. Deidara, Sasori's alive again, remember?" Kisame sighed. "But who am I to deny one's wishes, eh?"

Itachi, who had been watching from the corner, looked over at them. "Kisame," he warned, "_Both _captives must be alive and the medic must willing to cooperate."

"Heh. Gotcha, Itachi." Kisame chuckled.

"Hn."

The sharingan-user continued to follow Kisame with his eyes until the blue-skinned man was in the prison. Itachi then proceeded to disappear, completely ignoring the blonde male he had left behind.

Deidara sighed as he realized he was the only one left in the room. Then he wished _he _could disappear as he heard a resounding "SEMPAI!!"

"Tobi…" He groaned, before repeatedly banging his head on a nearby wall. "Why couldn't he be in freaking love with Zetsu?!"

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Sakura lifted her head off the ground as the door creaked open.

Her eyes widened and then narrowed as she watched a tall, _blue_ man step in with a giant sword balanced on his shoulders.

She shot to her knees and stretched her arms to the side of her, as if daring him to come any closer to her blonde, sleeping friend. A scowling, determined look resided on her face.

Kisame guffawed. "Ooh, a fierce little kitten, protecting her friend!" He grinned and brought his face closer to Sakura's. "Did you know kitties have nine lives?" Sakura could smell his putrid breath and see every speck of dirt on his grimy face. "So it won't matter if I cut out a few of those, will it?"

Sakura was too busy thinking of a way to bring the big guy down to answer.

"Kitten doesn't have an answer, huh? Don't worry…it'll only hurt a lot."

"A kitten can die if it has already been killed eight times over." Came the soft reply. "And after this, I'll have been to hell and back!" She spat the last part out.

"So you will have, kitten, so you will." He laughed in his rough, sandpapery voice. "Now if you'll agree to our proposition…"

"Bite me."

"We'll have time for that later." Kisame grinned. "I promise."

"Bastard!" She hissed.

And that one word set of a chain of reactions. Kisame's face twisted up in rage, Naruto's eyes opened and he muttered, "Teme?" And Sakura screamed as an angry Kisame's Samehada delved into her stomach.

Blood trickled out of her mouth, and she released her protecting position to grab her stomach. Her face contorted in pain. She coughed up more blood as she realized she had crossed the border with Kisame.

Naruto, who was now fully awake, shot up and was next to Sakura. He looked at Sakura with concern and then looked up at Kisame. His eyes were crimson and his whiskers more prominent. He growled as he gave Kisame a glare deep and full of anger and hatred.

"You bastard."

And with those words, Sakura collapsed.

"Enough. Kisame, get Zetsu. Now."

Naruto's head snapped up to look at the voice, and then let out a growl.

"Uchiha Itachi."

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

**RaNdOm DiScLaImEr: I do not own Naruto. Or Inner Sakura's song. That song is called Gloom, Dispair, and Agony on Me, or as I call it: The Camping Song!**

**A/N: Yes, I know, I promised longer! I'm SORRY!! Don't kill me! (dodge's flying eraser). I swear I'll do all I can to make it longer next time! And I'll update faster! I'm sorry it took so long! My muses were only created today and therefore I had the energy to fix it!**

**Word Count: 1,418**


	3. Persuation

Itachi glared at her.

Well, actually he was looking at her apathetically.

…But it was still obvious he was trying to snare her in his Tsukuyomi.

Immediately she snapped her eyes shut. He continued to stare at her – she could feel it – until she sensed him walk away.

She let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and opened her eyes.

The first thing she noticed was Naruto looking more than a little bit angry.

The second was that Itachi was _not _gone and had just successfully trapped her in his Mangekyou.

She shuddered as she realized she was in a red and black world. She and Itachi were black as night. Another spasm racked her body.

"I have not even started yet you already feel the pain. Pathetic."

Her eyes widened and she gaped. Two Itachis stood in front of her, a sword in their hands.

"Kakashi could only stand seventy-two hours. I wonder, how long will you last?" He stated it unfeelingly – in monotone.

He stabbed.

Her eyes widened and she let out a choked sob. She knew it was an illusion – she could keep the pain at bay with that knowledge. But it seemed Itachi knew what she was thinking. "While it may be an illusionary technique, the pain is real, Sakura."

She ignored him – she could still fight the pain.

Another stab caused her to choke, but it was less painful this time. It went on for what seemed like hours – she wouldn't last much longer.

And then it stopped. Or, at least, the _pain _stopped. She was still in the Mangekyou. And Itachi's voice whispered in her mind, "You can endure physical pain – what about mental?"

And then it played out for her: Sasuke and Naruto fighing each other – Rasengan in Naruto's hand and Chidori in Sasuke's. Each of them attacking each other.

Then it showed an unconscious Naruto and Sasuke with a psychotic grin on his face. And then Sasuke plunged a sword right into Naruto's stomach, and _laughed_.

Tears escaped her eyes.

Then the picture blurred at it showed pictures running across her field of vision: Orochimaru killing Sasuke, Itachi killing Sasuke, the Uchiha massacre, Naruto transforming into the Kyuubi and destroying Konoha.

She tried to move, but found she couldn't.

The pictures settled down and became one solid scene. Itachi was killing everyone. All the people she loved. First it was Naruto, then Sasuke, and then Kakashi, and then Tsunade, and then Ino.

She struggled against the invisible force keeping her there. She knew that she couldn't take any more of this.

It was a bloodbath – crimson liquid sprayed all around as Itachi continued the slaughter. It was the rest of Rookie Nine, now.

And then Naruto and Sasuke were alive again. Only – Itachi was gone. And instead Naruto was pinned against a tree and Sasuke was grinning again. Grinning _insanely_.

And she called out. Screamed till she was hoarse – "No! Sasuke, stop! _Stop it_!" But he wouldn't. His chidori burned her ears and made her vision bright and star-patched. And she realized Naruto wasn't moving out of the way. He could have, she knew it, but he didn't.

"Move, Naruto, _move!_" She sobbed. "Move…!"

And the last 'move!' echoed into the distance of the red-and-black world. And as soon a the echo stopped, Sasuke shoved his hand forward.

And Sakura fell over, wanting to die.

The red world faded into the grisly, gray of the dreary cell that she preferred to that hellish place.

She faintly heard Naruto screaming. "Sakura! Damn it, Sakura!"

She could feel him turn to Itachi. "What the hell did you do, you bastard?! Tell me!"

And then she could feel nothing.

She reveled in the silence and pain-free world she had been delivered to.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Sakura awoke to a dull pain in her ribs – only to find out she had be kicked by Kisame.

She lay still and took the abuse only because it was worse to fight back.

In fact the first few times he had done this, Naruto had screamed and shouted at him. Really she knew the reason that this was happening. She had refused to their deal, their _proposition_.

There was no way in _hell _she would put her medic skills to use like that. And their _deal _was that she would transfer the demons into a host of their choice. She had, of course, refused.

And their…persuasion…was obviously this.

Another kick sent her sprawling across the cell and she knocked into the wall with a small "oomph"

And she prayed Naruto would stay quiet. It only got longer and worse when he yelled.

…and God had mercy on her today. Naruto stayed quiet, though his hands were clenched and his bright blue eyes watered.

"Sakura-chan." He muttered.

She tensed, she didn't know if Kisame would hit her for that. And even without chakra she could tell that she had lots of broken bones already.

"You gonna agree to it yet, Sakura-_chan_?" He taunted.

She gritted her teeth. "Never." She ground out.

"Then don't worry. We can have some more fun later, Sakura-chan." Kisame grinned.

And then he left and Naruto rushed over. "Sakura-chan! Why you?! Why not me?!"

"Because I won't agree, Naruto, and you have no choice." She coughed up some blood. "I wish they'd let me heal myself." She coughed again.

Naruto growled and carried Sakura to a corner then stood in front of her.

It was then that another blue-eyed, blond-haired man walked in.

"Nice to see you all again, yeah?"

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Itachi stood facing Kisame.

"Your methods of persuasion don't seem to have worked." He stated bluntly.

Kisame smirked. "But it was so _fun_."

"Let her heal."

Kisame narrowed his eyes. "Hai."

Itachi continued to stare at Kisame until he had left the room.

Then, mostly to himself, he muttered aloud, "Where is Deidara?"

He hadn't expected an answer but a response came from the normally silent Sasori. "I believe he went to visit our new guest, Itachi-san."

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

**Gomen (again): And I think this might be the shortest chapter yet! (besides the prologue…) Oh well. I was in a hurry to get it out to you all.**

**Question: I looked back on it and this fic seemed kinda…violent…is it okay for this to be 'T'?**

**A/N: Once again, I apologize for grammar and spelling errors. Please alert me if you find some.**

**Oh, and really, tell me if they are OOC because, I mean, I'm trying to write about **_**akatsuki! **_**Some of them have less character depth than the ramen Naruto eats, and some have more complexity to them that that damned treasure map my ten year old brother drew me!**

**About Plot holes: I realized I had my first plot hole!! I'm going to fix it in the next chapter, though. But next time you see one, please tell me.**

**If you haven't realized what it is, I'm not telling' you!**

**Mandatory Disclaimer: I own nothing! Do not sue me!**


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